Achilleion (Greek: Αχίλλειο or Αχίλλειον) is a palace built in Gastouri (Γαστούρι) on the Island of Corfu for the Empress (German: Kaiserin) Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, after a suggestion by the Austrian consul Alexander von Warsberg.[1][2] Elisabeth was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria following the Mayerling incident in 1889, and a year later she had this summer palace built as a refuge.
Achilleion is located about ten kilometers south of the city of Corfu and provides a panoramic view of the city to the north, and across the whole southern part of the island to the Ionian Sea.[3]
The architectural style was designed to suggest an ancient palace of mythical Phaeacia[4] The motif centers on the hero Achilles of Greek mythology, from which the name is derived. Corfu was Elisabeth’s favorite vacation destination and she wanted a palace to gratify her admiration for Greece, its language and its culture.[5]
